Knitting machine



May 25, 1937. w s 2,081,816

KNITTING MACHINE Filed July 18, 1936 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Patented May 25, 1937 KNITTING MACHINE Willis A. Ingails, Syracuse, N. Y., assignor to Tompkins Bros. 00., Syracuse, N. Y., a corporation of New York Application July 18, 1936, Serial No. 91,382

7 Claims.

This invention appertains to knitting machines, and more particularly, to an attachment for so-called circular, spring needle knitting machines, such attachment having the form of a ring through which the cloth passes as it is knitted, and serving to facilitate the formation cfthe stitches and the clearing 01f of the stitches from the needles. Preferably, the ring also'constitutes a support for the usual push-down or cloth wheels or shoes.

In the conventional circular, spring needle machines, the cloth extends upwardly from the needles, and is taken upwardly under tension by a suitable take-up device which generally includes a spreader of more or less oval shape, about which the cloth extends. In such a take-up device, there is less tension on the cloth at the ends than at the sides, and this lack of uni-- formity of tension on the cloth results in a notable objection that the stitches are not uniformly formed, and are not uniformly cleared off the needles, thereby producing irregularities in the knitted cloth. These irregularities are particularly noticeable in heavy cloth or fancy stitched cloth, and frequently resort must be had to make-shift arrangements of wires, springs, and the like, to compensate, at least in part, for such irregularities.

Moreover, it has been customary in knitting machines of the type above referred to, to mount the usual cloth wheels or shoes on'tall stands or standards on the outside of the cylinder which make it difiicult toget access to important parts of the machine for the purpose of setting the same, and interfere with'the operators view of the parts while effecting the adjustments. Another important disadvantage in the use of these tall stands resides in the fact that the stands are not sufliciently rigid, and consequently, tend to bend or spring outwardly due to pressure of the cloth against the cloth wheels or shoes carried by the stands, thereby resulting in uneven running of the wheels or shoes over the cloth, all of which further adds to the lack of uniformity of the formation of the stitches and the clearing off of the stitches from the needles, previously referred to.

The primary object of the present invention is to provide a simple andeffective means for uniformly distributing the tension about the cloth, and for producing this uniform tension at the point where the knitting takes place, that is, at the needles, thereby compensating for the non-uniform tension normally produced on the cloth by the usual cloth take-up means.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved mounting for the cloth wheels or shoes, which is more compact, affords greater accessibility to the adjustable parts of the machine, and which eliminates the necessity for resorting to make-shift arrangements for improving the uniformity of stitch formation and the clearance of the stitches from the needles.

Other and further objects and advantages of the invention will be hereinafter described, and the novel features thereof defined by the appended claims.

In the drawings:-

Figure l is a fragmentary perspective View of a well known, circular, spring needle knitting machine of the double cylinder type, and showing one of the knitting units with my invention applied thereto;

Figure 2 is an enlarged detail View, in elevation, of my cloth ring attachment which serves to uniformly distribute the tension about the cloth when mounted on the machine coaxial with the cylinder of needles, and which also constitutes the support for the cloth wheels or shoes, the .view' also showing the means for mounting the ring on the machine in a manner which permits adjustment of the elevation of the ring respecting the needles;

Figure 3 is an enlarged detail sectional view, taken radially through one side of the cloth ring, and showing, in elevation, a cloth wheel mounted on'the ring, the means for adjusting the cloth wheel respecting the ring and the manner in which the ring and cloth wheel cooperate with the needles and the cloth;

Figure 4 is a sectional View, taken approximately on the line 44' of Figure 3;

Figure 5 is a' View, partly in section and partly in top plan, of the attachment illustrated in Figure 2; and

Figure 6 is a fragmentary detail view in end elevation of a shoe attachment which may be substituted for the cloth wheel illustrated in Figure 3. I

Like reference characters designate corresponding parts in the'several figures of the drawings.

Referring first to" Figure 1, I have shown, more 7 or less generally, a well known type of knitting machine to which my invention is particularly adapted, and wherein' l designates a table or base upon which one or more knitting units' are mounted,onlyone'such' unit being shown byway of example. Each knitting unit embodies a base or bed 2, on which is mounted a rotatable cylinder 3, carrying a plurality of so-called spring needles 4. Associated with the cylinder and needles are the usual instrumentalities for forming the stitches, including one or more stitch wheels 5 and thread-tensioning means 6, which are adjustably mounted exteriorly of the cylinder and are arranged in operative relation to the needles in a manner well known to those skilled in the art. These instrurnentalities and. the other parts which go to make up the complete machine are. conventional, and for this reason, have not been shown in detail nor specifically described. It will be understood, however, that there may be as many thread feeds as will be required for the particular type of cloth which is to be knitted by the machine, and according to whether the knitting is plain, ribbed, fancy, or otherwise, and according to the type of pattern wheels employed. 7 designates the threads, 8 the stitches on the needles and 9 the cloth which has been knitted by the needles in the usual manner. The cloth is knitted into a more or less tubular form, and extends upwardly from the needles where it is taken up by some suitable take-up and tensioning means, generally designated ill, the latter being suspended above the needle cylinder from a post or column H which is mounted on the table 9. As indicated by the bulge in the cloth at 52, but not specifically shown in the drawings, an oval spreader is associated with the take-up means It to condition the cloth so that it can be conveniently wound flat upon the spool or roll 13, as indicated at I l. These parts are likewise well known, and need not be further described.

Passing now to my attachment, which is the principal feature of this application, I mount intermediate the cylinder of needles and the takeup means If), what I have termed a cloth ring member, generally designated 15, this ring member being preferably located relatively close to the cylinder of needles, and preferably at an elevation slightly above the same, as. best seen in Figure 1. The form of the ring member will be best understood from reference to Figures 2 to 5, inclusive. As shown, the ring member 55 is of smaller diameter than the cylinder of needles, and is preferably composed of a metal casting. The upper portion of this casting is cylindrical, with its inner and outer walls l6 and I? respectively extending substantially vertically. At its lower end, the ring member l5 flares downwardly and outwardly, as at l8, so as to generally con,- form to the taper of the cloth 9 as it passes upwardly from the needles through the inside of the ring member !5 to take-up means it. The inner face l9 of the downwardly flaring extension i8, and the inner wall it, are preferably given a smooth finish so that the cloth may freely pass through the ring with a minimum of friction. As best seen in Figure 3, the cloth 9 bears against the ring l5 principally at the heel 2b, which extends around the interior of the ring member, as will be clearly understood, and in so engaging the cloth, the ring member evenly distributes the tension of the cloth take-up means Ill all the way around the knitted tube. Of course, the angle or taper assumed by the cloth as it extends upwardly from the needles through the ring member 55 will vary as the stitches 8 are moved upwardly and downwardly on the needles during the stitchforming operations. However, the relatively broad surface I9 in its engagement about the cloth, maintains the cloth in a substantially tubular form, and thus gives the cloth an even tension at the point where the knitting takes place; that is, at the needles.

The ring member I5 is mounted coaxially with the cylinder of needles, and is maintained stationary at all times, although adjustment of the elevation of the ring member is preferably permitted. To this end, I provide a plurality of radially outwardly extending arms 2|, preferably three, which are suitably fixed to the upper face 22 of the ring, as by means of the bolts 23, and the outer ends of these arms are apertured to receive therethrough the threaded ends 24 of the vertically arranged supports or standards 25. Nuts 26 permit vertical adjustment of the arms, and consequently, the ring 15, as will be obvious. The lower ends of the supports 25 are adjustably secured to the slotted links or bracket arms 21, as by the machine screws or bolts 28 which extend through the slots 29 and are threadedly received in the lower ends of the supports. The inner extremities of the links or arms 21 are suitably fastened to some convenient part of the machine, preferably below the cylinder, although it is to be understood that I do not wish to be: limited to this precise type of mounting for the ring member l5, as the same may be varied as desired according to the particular type of machine to which it is applied. However, I have found that the foregoing arrangement is quite simple and perfectly efiective for the purposes.

Formed in the upper portion of the ring member I5 is a slot 39, which extends circumferentially about the ring and radially inwardly therethrough and terminates in an enlarged annular channel or groove 31 disposed towards the inner side of the ring. At intervals about the ring member are provided connecting webs 32 which bridge the channel or groove 3| and serve to connect the portions of the ring respectively above and below the slot 35] and groove 3i together. The slot 30 and groove 3! are adapted to receive one or more supports for the cloth wheels or shoes, there being usually one Wheel or shoe for each thread feed. Each cloth wheel or shoe is located adjacent to the point where the thread is fed into the needles, and serves to push the stitches 8 down on the shanks 33 of the needles as the needle cylinder is rotated past the threadfeeding stations. It is important that these cloth wheels or shoes be accurately set so that the knitting operations can be properly carried out, and it is therefore desirable that adjustment of the cloth wheels or shoes be permitted. In mounting the cloth wheels or shoes directly on my cloth ring member I5, I preferably provide mounting means which permits circumferential adjustment of the cloth wheels or shoes respecting the ring member and also the needle cylinder, as well as vertical adjustment of the same independently of the vertical adjustment of the ring member itself. As shown, my mounting means includes a foot 34 which abuts against the outer face of the upper portion of the ring member I5 and is provided with laterally extending off-sets 35 and 36 at its opposite ends, which off-sets are received in the slot 30 and prevent the foot from canting in the direction of its length. Passing through a suitable opening 31 in the foot 34 and through the slot 30, into the groove or channel 3|, is a bolt 38. Threadedly received on the inner end of the bolt 38 and arranged in the channel 3!, is a square-headed nut 39. By screwing the bolt 38 through the nut 39, the nut will bear against the base or inner wall of the groove or channel 3| above and below the slot 30, thereby firmly clamping the foot 34 against the ring member l5. One end of the foot 34 is split, as at if and is provided with a suitable aperture for receiving the inner end of an outwardly extending arm 4|. A clamping screw 42, extending through the split end of the foot, serves to securely clamp the end of the arm 4i in the foot. The outer end of the arm 4| is likewise split, as at 43, and is provided with a suitable opening for receiving one end of another arm 44 arranged at right angles to the arm 4|. Clamping bolt 45 serves to securely clamp arm 44 in the arm 4|. The opposite end of the arm 44 is likewise split, as at 46, and is provided with a suitable opening therethrough for receiving a vertical bracket or standaid 41. Clamping nut 48 serves to clamp the standard 41 in the arm 44, and permits vertical adjustment of the standard. Through the arrangement of the standard, arms, and foot, and

' their clamping bolts, as just described, I am able to obtain a substantially universal adjustment of the standard 41 in all directions, as will be obvious.

I A stud 49 is threadedly received in the lower 7 end of the standard 41, and extends outwardly therefrom, upon which the cloth wheel 50 is rotatably mounted so as to be disposed behind the needles 4 and closely adjacent thereto, as best seen in Figure 3. The setting of the cloth wheel 50 is preferably such that the lowermost edge of the wheel is disposed substantially below the hooked end 5| of the needles 4, whereby to cause the cloth wheel to push the stitches 8 down onto the shanks 33 of the needles below the hooked end 5| to enable the thread 1 to be passed into the hooked end 5| in the usual manner as the needles pass by the thread-feeding stations. The cloth wheel itself may be of conventional construction, and the action of the same on the cloth is well known and conventional.

Instead of using the rotatable cloth wheels 50, shoes 50 such as are illustrated in Figure 6 may be substituted therefor, these shoes being fixedly mounted on the lower ends of the standards 41', generally conforming to the standards 41 previously described. These shoes 50' are likewise of well known construction, and serve to push down the stitches 8 in substantially the same manner as the rotatable wheels, the principal difference being that the cloth passes under the shoes with a sliding motion as distinguished from the rolling motion of the wheels 50 respecting the cloth. The shoes 50 are curved in the direc tion of their length so as to lie closely behind the needles at all points from the toe to the heel of the shoe. Universal adjustment of the shoes can be effected through means of adjustment of the arms 44 and 4 I, and the foot 34, as will be clearly understood from the fact that the standard 41 is interchangeable with the standard 41. By reason of the fact that the arms 4i and 44, and standards 41 or 41 are relatively short and stiff, the cloth wheels 50 or shoes 50', as the case may be, are held in adjusted position much more rigidly than is the case where the cloth wheels or shoes are mounted on relatively tall stands such as have been heretofore employed. The pressure of the cloth 9 against the wheels 50 or shoes 50' will not spring these parts out of position if the mounting means herein described is used, thereby insuring even running of the wheels and shoes, and consequently resulting in a more uniform formation of the stitches. Moreover, the arrangement of the mounting means herein disclosed is such that free access to the various adjustable parts, such as the stitch-feeding means, the lander wheels, castoff wheels, etc., is afforded, permitting the operator to see and adjust these parts as the occasion requires.

While the specific details of the invention have been herein shown and described, the invention is not confined thereto, as changes and alterations may be madewithout departing from the spirit thereof as defined by the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. An attachment for circular knitting machines of the character described, comprising a ring member having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder of needles, said ring member having a circumferential slot therein, means mounted in said slot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like, and means for supporting said ring member coaxial with and axially spaced from the cylinder of needles.

2. An attachment for circular knitting machines of the character described, comprising a ring member having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder of needles, said ring member having a circumferential slot therein, means mounted in said slot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like and circumferentially adjustable about said ring member, and means for supporting said ring member coaxial with and axially spaced from the cylinder of needles.

3. An attachment for circular knitting machines of the character described, comprising a ring member having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder of needles, said ring member having a circumferential slot therein, means mounted in said slot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like and circumferentially adjustable about said ring member, said means including a bolt extending radially through said slot, a nut threadedly engaging the inner end of said bolt in abutting relation to the ring member, a foot mounted on the outer end of said bolt in abutting relation to the outer face of said ring member, means carried by said foot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like, and means for supporting said ring member coaxial with and axially spaced from the cylinder of needles.

4. An attachment for circular knitting machines of the character described, comprising a ring member having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder of needles, said ring member having a circumferential slot therein,

means mounted in said slot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like and circumferentially adjustable about said ring member, said means including a bolt extending radially through said slot, a nut threadedly engaging the inner end of said bolt in abutting relation to the ring memher, a foot mounted on the outer end of said bolt in abutting relation to the outer face of said ring member, means carried by said foot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like, said last named means including means for permitting radial adjustment of said cloth wheel respecting the axis of the cylinder of needles, and means for supporting said ring member coaxial with and axially spaced from the cylinder of needles.

5. An attachment for circular knitting machines of the character described, comprising a ring member having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder of needles, said ring member having a circumferential slot therein, means mounted in said slot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like and circumferentially adjustable about said ring member, said means including a bolt extending radially through said slot, a nut threadedly engaging the inner end of said bolt in abutting relation to the ring member, a foot mounted on the outer end of said bolt in abutting relation to the outer face of said ring member, means carried by said foot for supporting a cloth Wheel or the like, said last named means including means for permitting axial adjustment of said cloth wheel respecting the axis of the cylinder of needles, and means for supporting said ring member coaxial with and axially spaced from the cylinder of needles.

6. An attachment for circular knitting machines of the character described, comprising a ring member having a diameter less than the diameter of the cylinder of needles, said ring member having a circumferential slot therein, means mounted in said slot for supporting a cloth Wheel or the like and circumferentially adjustable about said ring member, said means including a bolt extending radially through said slot, a nut threadedly engaging the inner end of said bolt in abutting relation to the ring member, a foot mounted on the outer end of said bolt in abutting relation to the outer face of said ring member, means carried by said foot for supporting a cloth wheel or the like, said last named means including a radially extending arm, a standard carried by said arm, and a radially extending stud carried by said standard, and means for supporting said ring member coaxial with and axially spaced from the cylinder of needles.

7. The combination with a circular knitting machine including a rotatable cylinder having a plurality of spring needles mounted therein, and cloth take-up and tensioning means axially spaced from said needles, of a substantially rigid ring member coaxially mounted respecting said cylinder and of less diameter than the cylinder of needles and having a portion flaring outwardly towards the needles, said ring member being positioned intermediate the needles and the takeup means and relatively closer to said needles but azdally spaced from the latter for receiving the cloth therethrough as it is taken up by the take-up means, whereby to uniformly distribute the tension of the take-up means about the cloth and facilitate the uniform formation of the stitches by, and the clearing of the stitches off, the needles, cloth push-down means positioned between the ring and the needles and adapted to coact with said needles in the feeding of the thread to the needles and in the formation of the stitches responsive to rotation of the needle cylinder, and means for adjustably mounting said cloth push-down means on said ring so as to provide adjustment of the push-down means whereby to permit the latter to be positioned close to the needles to produce an optimum uniformity of knitting action.

WILLIS A. INGALLS. 

